Furniture construction.



A. H. SOHAFFERT. FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1911.

Patented June 11,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

A. H. SGHAPPERT. FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1911.

Patented June 11, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTORNE Y.

pmnn' srz rns m" OFFICE.

AJDOLF n. scrmrrmvr, or You'nes'rown, OHIO, ABBIGNOR ro'rnn GENERAL manrnoorme comma. or rooncsrown, OHIO, A. CORPORATION or OHIO.

FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION.

Patented June 11, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I Aoonr H. SCHAFFERT, a citizen of the United States,' residing at Youngstown, in they county of Mahoning and State. of Ohio, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Furniture Construction, of which the following is a specification.

Thepresent invention relates in general to 10 furniture, and more particularly to a novel and improved manner of connecting various parts thereof, such as the legs *or uprights to the top or body portion.

The invention is more especially designed to be employed in the construction of sheet metal furniture, the ,primary object thereof being the-provision of a simple, inexpensive I and efi'ectlvemeans whereby the arts are admitting of the furniture being shipped in held rigidly together when assem led, and can be quickly and easily takenapart or put together without marring thefinish, thereby a knock down condition.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a construction 01 this character in which there are no exposed bolts, screws, rivets or the like, all surfaces being plain or flat so as to be readily and cheaply polished or rubbed by machinery/ With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel. combinations and arrangements of the parts as i will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in theapp'en'ded claims.

For a fullunderstandingof the invention, reference. is to'be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a desk in which the legs are secured to the top or body portion by a construction involving the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of one of the legs detached. Fig.3 is a similar view of one corner of the body portion of the desk. Fig. t'is a transverse sec 7 tional view on the line 4-4-of Fig. 2'. Fig.

, 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through one corner of the desk. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the clamping plates. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of a table in which the legs are secured to the body'portion by a construction involvin a slightly modified form of the inventlon. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale through one corner of the.

table. Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through one corner of the apron the clamping plates, and Fig. 12 is a per-' speotive view of one corner of a table involving a slightly different construction, a. portion of the apron being broken away.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

The present invention may be employed for connecting different elements of an article of furniture, wherever such a construction adapted to be utilized, and while it will be illustrated and described as employed for connecting the legs or uprights to the top or body portion, yet it will be understood that it is not to be restricted to this 's ecific use.

In igs. 1 to 6 inclusive the construction is illustrated as appliedto a desk, while in Figs. 7 to .12 inclusive it isshown as applied to a table, both the desk and table ,bemg preferably constructed of sheet metalr Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the

is supported by the. legs 2, and provided with t 1e usual body portion 3 in which the drawers may be mounted. As indicated more clearly in Figs.- 2 and 4, the legs 2 numeral .1 designates the top of a desk which have a hollow formation and are substantially rectangular in cross section? The upper portion of each of the legs is cut away along one. of .the longitudinal edges thereof,

as indicated at 2', to receive the corresponding corner 3 of the body portion. This corner 3 of the body portion rests upon the shoulder 4 provided at the lower end of the cut away portion 2 so that allof the weight is carried directly to the leg. Each of the corners 3 is provided with one or more notches 4, thesaid notches receiving cross bars 5 which extend diagonally across the interior of the leg 2 and have the ends thereof rigidly secured to the said legs. Diagonallyf disposed clamping plates 6 are arranged within the corners 3 of the body portion so as to bear against the sides thereof and'be disposed substantially parallel to the cross bars 5. Fastening members such construction,

curing the plates as the clamping bolts 7 are employed for se- 6 to the respective cross bars 5,the said bolts passing loosely through the clamping plates and having a threaded engagement wlth the cross bars. With this it will be obvious that when the bolts 7 are tightened the legs 2will be drawn tightly against the corners of the desk and held rigidly in pbsition. However, the bolts can be'very easily removed should it be desired to remove the legs for any purpose.

' sides carrying be uti the cross bars 5. The ends of the clamping plates 6 are'also shown as beveled at 6" so as to fit accurately against the sides of the body ortion 3. Any suitable means may lized for securing the cross bars5 to the legs 2, although this result is preferably accomplished'by a process known as spot welding, since the use\of rivets or similar fastening members is thereby avoided, and

. the legs have a smooth exterior surface free scribed.- The notches 4" adapted to receive corresp'on the sides thereof.

from all projections.

, apron 9.

[This is a very great since the smooth surfaces can advantage,

be cheaply polished or rubbed by machinery,

and all expensive hand polishing isavoided.

In Figs. 7 to 12 inclusive the invention is shown as employed for securing the legs of a table in position, and the arrangement of the cross bars and clamping plates 'is the reverse 'of what'has been previously denumeral 8 designates the top and pendent from this top is the usual apron 9 to which the upper ends of the legs 10 are secured. As in the previous instance, these legs are constructed of sheet metal and have a hollow formation. The upper end of each. of the legs 10 is provided in one corner thereof with one ornllore of the table,

cross bars 5 secured to the corners of the These cross bars extend diagonally across the corners of thea r0119 and are engaged. by clamping bolts extending through clampin plates 6 arranged diago- 10 and bearing against opening 11 is formed in the inner corner of each of the legs 10 so that access can be readily had to the bolts 7 for removing-the same or placing them nally within the egs in position. It will thus be obvious that the clamping plates 6 are carried bywthe legs and the cross bars 5" carried by the apron 9, whereas in the previous construction the cross bars were carried by the legs and the clamping plates by the desk. It may also be noted that/with the desk a separate clamping plate 6 is employed for each of the cross bars 5, while in which the legs 10 1 tion and the lower turned inwardly at 9' to compensate for the The manner of sesesses special utility having its en with the table a single. clamping plate 6 serves for all of the cross bars 5 of each of the legs, the edges of the plates 6 being notched at 12 to receive the ends of the cross bars. As in the previous instance, the cross bars are preferably secured 'in position by means of spot welding, so as to leave a perfectl smooth exterior surface which can be readi y polished by machinery. A slight modification is shown in Fig. 12

have a tapered formaedge of theapron is tapering of the legs. curing the legs to the apron,'however, is identical with that previously described.-

The improved joint described herein'posin its application to metal furniture an not only securesa finishediappearance, but also provides a very strong and tight joint held in locked condition under tension. In this connection it will be observed that a practical feature of the invention is that of having the clamping plates bindin against sheet metal members that will yield sufliciently under the binding pressure" of said lates to secure perfectly tight joints whic This function is more pronounced in the preferred form ofthe invention shown in Fig sheet-metal member 3 the rigid end portions said clearance being indicated at a: of said figure. This clearance is also in the line of pressure from the ends of the clamping lates 6 so that when such plates are drawn the metal part3 entight the portions of gaged thereby will spring suflicientl to make a perfectly tight joint of we ished appearance.

Having thus what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A joint and fastening for metal furniture construction comprismg a sheet-metal member having a corner'notch, a second sheet-metal member receiving the corner of the .first mentioned member, a rigid crossbar carried by one of the members and having a clearance at its ends from the other member, and also engaging within the notch of said other member, a clamping-plate arranged in op o'sition to the cross-bar and exerting a binding pressure against resilient portions -of the member havin the corner notch, and an adjustable fastening device connecting the clamping plate to thecross-bar.

' 2. A joint and fastening ture construction comprisin a member having a corner notch, a secon member receiving the corner of the first mentioned member a rigid cross for metal furnibar carried by one of sai present a nice finish.

5 of the drawings, and referring thereto 1t will be observed that the apron or.

has a-cle'arance from 5 of the cross-bars 5,

described the invention, A

members and engaging within said notch, a her and resting on said shoulder, the said 15 I clamping plate arranged in substantial parcorner of the body also having formed thereallelism to said cross bar and having its ends in a notch, across bar rigidly fitted within exerting a binding pressure against oppothe' leg member and arranged diagonally site portions of the member having the cortherein so as to engage with the said notch, a

ner notch, and an adjustable fastening declamping plate fitted within the corner of 20 I cross bar. against opposite walls vice connecting the clamping plate to said the body portion and adjustably binding thereof, and a clamp- 3. A joint and fastening for furniture mg screw adjustably connecting said plate construction comprising a hollow upright wit-h the cross bar.

leg member having one side thereof cut away ADOLF 'H; SCHAFFERT. and formed with a supporting shoulder, and Witnesses: a superstructure including a body portion H. E. WHITE,

having its corner fitting within the leg mem- D. KAISER. 

